TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
RE: Numbered headings - a humorous, yet incisive, attempt to prov e the value of technical writers and of less numbered headings in nuclear power plant manuals.....
Subject:RE: Numbered headings - a humorous, yet incisive, attempt to prov e the value of technical writers and of less numbered headings in nuclear power plant manuals..... From:"Sean O'Donoghue (EPA)" <Sean.O'Donoghue -at- ericsson -dot- com -dot- au> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 20 Sep 2001 10:05:30 +1000
Chris you said:
> "Having said all of that; I agree that documents with
> bumpteen levels ("see Section 84.3.5.11.6") are
> self-defeating. Three levels seems sensible for most
> applications, operating systems for nuclear reactors
> apart..."
Call me an old paranoid fuddy duddy who fears nuclear meltdown but I would
LOVE to think that all manuals used by Nuclear Power Stations are 20 pages
long, with 72pt headings, so when something happens they flick open the
manual and can find it VERY QUICKLY...
"Oh God it's the Nel-ffussiler System going offline....pass me the
manual...."
*Sound of heaving, and grunting, electric winch whirring, then a loud thud
as the 1,200 page document is placed on the desk.....*
"Let's see.....*consulting twenty five page table of contents*.....looks
like 84.3.5.11.6.."
*flick, flick*....."Damn where is that section - oh christ the clips have
opened, someone grab the manual............." *thud - snap -
whizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz* "oh god, it's crushed Jimmy, and the manual's gone
everywhere...."
*WAK, WAK, WAK..............sound of siren, lights turn red and begin
flashing....*
"We're reaching overload!!!!!!!! If we can keep the filters clean we can
still make it..."
*Shhhhhhhhhhooooooooooo---utttttttttt*
"OH DAMN, those loose pages from the manual have been sucked into, and are
blocking the filters..........say goodbye to the Boudreaux Valley,
guys..........hey it's section 84.3.5.11.6 it says....oh damn that was after
we fired all the technical writers....it just says for the information that
should be included on this page refer to Microsoft(c) Java(c) Support for
Nuclear Power Stations...call 1800-3001-666 or 1800-Melt-down"
*a large toxic rapidly expanding mushroom cloud rises.................as
described in section 89.7.22.12.4 of the Nuclear Power Station Manual. For
information on related OH&S issues, see "You and Nuclear Fallout" Ref 6.*
:-)
regards and thanks,
Sean O'Donoghue-Hayes
sean.o'donoghue -at- ericsson -dot- com -dot- au
A landmark hotel, one of America's most beautiful cities, and
three and a half days of immersion in the state of the art:
IPCC 01, Oct. 24-27 in Santa Fe. http://ieeepcs.org/2001/
+++ Miramo -- Database/XML publishing automation. See us at +++
+++ Seybold SFO, Sept. 25-27, in the Adobe Partners Pavilion +++
+++ More info: http://www.axialinfo.comhttp://www.miramo.com +++
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
